Prof. Dr. med. Mikael Simons
Group leader

Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology (TUM-NCB)
Technical University Munich
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)
Email: mikael.simons@dzne.de; m.simons@tum.de
Web: www.mikael-simons.lab.de

Education

1997 Medical School University of Heidelberg
MD thesis, Centre for Molecular Biology Heidelberg (ZMBH) Dr.med., ‘summa cum laude’, Supervisor: Prof.. Dr. Konrad Beyreuther
1997 – 99 Residency in Neurology, Department of Neurology at the University of Tübingen/Germany (Director: Prof. Dichgans)
08/99 Approbation
1999 – 2000 Post-Doctoral studies with Prof. J. Trotter at the Institute for Neurobiology, University of Heidelberg/Germany
2000 – 04 Residency in Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen
06/2004 Facharzt/Specialty qualification in Neurology
07/2005 Habilitation in Neurology, University of Tübingen/Germany

Current positions

2016 – present W3- Professorship and Director, Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, TU Munich, Germany & the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Munich (DZNE/Munich)
2020 – present Head of Clinical Research & Clinical Trial Unit Munich at the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Munich (DZNE/Munich)
Previous positions
2004 – 2009 Junior Group leader at the Centre for Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, University of Göttingen/Germany
2007 – 2016 Consulting neurologist (‘Oberarzt’) at the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital Göttingen/Germany; Head of the Multiple Sclerosis out-patient clinic
2008 – 2019 Group leader at the Max-Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine/Germany
02/2009 – 2014 Heisenberg Professorship, Department of Neurology at the University Hospital Göttingen/Germany
02/2014 – 12/2015 W3- Professorship, Department of Neurology at the University Hospital Göttingen/Germany
2017 -2020 Consulting neurologist (‘Oberarzt’) at the Department of Neurology at the ‘Klinikum Rechts der Isar’ University Hospital of the TU Munich/Germany

Fellowships, Awards and Honors

1995 National award for the best MD thesis in Germany
1998 Ruprechts-Karls-Award, University of Heidelberg
1999 – 2000 Post-Doctoral Stipend, DFG
2001 Heinz-Maier-Leibnitz Award
2002 Akademie-Award ‚Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften‘
2003 Attempto-Award in Neurosciences; University of Tübingen
2004 offer of Heisenberg Fellowship, DFG
2008 EMBO, Young Investigator Award
2008 ERC Starting Grant
2009 W3-Heisenberg Professorship, DFG
2014 Ilse & Hans Breuer Award for Alzheimer Disease Research
2014 ERC Consolidator Grant
2020 ERC Advanced Grant

2023 member German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina

Institutional Responsibilities

2016 – present Member of the Medical Faculty of the TU Munich
2016 – present Board member, Munich Excellence-Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy)
2016 – present Co-head of the electron microscopy hub of SyNergy
2018 – present Member of the Graduate School of Systems Neuroscience
2018 – present Module Coordinator – Elite Master’s Degree Program Biomedical Neuroscience
2019 – present Speaker of the Collaborative Research Centre (TRR 274)
2019 – present Co-head of the single genomics hub of the Collaborative Research Center 274
2020 – present Member of the steering board of Clinical Research at the TUM (KKF)

Fields of specialization

Clinical: Neuroimmunology/Neurodegeneration
Scientific: Glial biology/myelin/regeneration/neurodegeneration/neuroinflammation